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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29874546">Brothers</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fanatic_fan/pseuds/Fanatic_fan'>Fanatic_fan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Another Path Taken [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, another path taken au, good vanitas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:20:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,741</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29874546</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fanatic_fan/pseuds/Fanatic_fan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Vanitas would do anything to protect his brother, even from himself.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Another Path Taken [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2196447</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Vanitas I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Pain. A sudden feeling of something missing. But what was it? The pain continued, but what was the cause of it?</p><p>Sudden light came into view and he found himself in a strange world, nothing but barren earth as far as he could see.</p><p>"Empty creature from Ventus Riven."</p><p>The voice quickly caught his attention and he looked to see an old bald man with a grey beard wearing black robes looking at him with gleaming gold eyes.</p><p>"To you, the name Vanitas shall be given." He continued.</p><p>The man stared at him, waiting for him to respond to his new name. The name sounded correct, but there was something that felt wrong. A wheezing sound at his feet drew his attention where a teenage boy lay unconscious, a pained look upon his face. Looking at the boy he felt a form of recognition in the back of his mind. Something about this boy caused a deep rage and pain to pass through his heart.</p><p>Wait. His heart. Why did it feel shredded? Panic began to appear in his mind as he reached around the tattered edges of his heart. Where was his light? Where was his other half? Darkness was everywhere? His light was nowhere? His light, where was his light? His panic grew more as he searched and searched.</p><p>Where was - wait. There it was. Faint, but still there, a small it, there but not there. What was going on? He latched onto his light where he found some kind of trail that was left behind as his light was ripped away from him. Why was his light gone? Where did it go? He followed the trail where he saw what looked like another heart that was shredded like his, but unlike his, which was completely dark, this one glowed with a pure light. His light. Why was his light here?</p><p>He stepped onto his missing half but noticed someone else was here. Anger rushed through him. Who was this person to think that they had any right to be in their heart? He stomped over to them, but stopped when they turned to look at him.</p><p>How? How did that boy end up in his heart?</p><p>The boy looked at him in a daze. Why did he looks so dead?</p><p>"A-are you the other half of my heart?" The boy asked.</p><p>What was he talking about? Did he think that this light was his? He reached throughout his light as the boy continued to stare at him. This was his light, that he could tell but something was not right. It was his and yet it felt separate. He continued to search through his light, attempting to discover why his light was separated. Why was it here? What had caused this?</p><p>Wait.</p><p>His light seemed to focus in one location. Focusing on that one point he broadened his senses to find what that point was. He felt his light doing the same before it latched onto him, like it was afraid they would disappear.</p><p>"Are you my other half?"</p><p>Th sudden voice quickly broke him out of his search as he noticed the boy had moved closer to him, that dead look still upon his face.</p><p>"Are you my darkness?" He asked, reaching out to grab his hand.</p><p>He should have moved away. He shouldn't have allowed the boy to grab him. But something held him still.</p><p>As soon as their hands had touched the pain that was feeling in the back of his mind and heart seemed to dull. How? How did this boy seem to dull the pain of losing his light? He reached out once again with his senses, but instead of focusing on his light he focused on the boy. What was so special about this boy? What - his light! Why was his light focused within this boy?</p><p>*Empty creature from Ventus riven.*</p><p>The words that the old man had spoken quickly flew through his mind. Was this boy Ventus? Was he the creature separated from this boy's heart, rather than his own heart?</p><p>The boy leaned into his chest with a sigh a he closed his eyes. Unconsciously, he gently gathered the boy, Ventus, into his arms. Something just felt right to ensure that he was safe. He looked down at Ventus, before fear rushed through him as the boy slowly began to become transparent. What was happening? A crumpling sound quickly caught his attention as he turned to look at the edges of his light, where his fear and dread grew when cracks began to appear at the edges.</p><p>His grip on the boy tightened as realization rushed through his mind at the connection that Ventus and his light truly had. But how did they become separated like this?</p><p>The words that the man spoke before once again came to his mind. How did that man know he and this boy were connected? Unless. That man was the cause of their separation! That was the only reason he would know of their connection. The man was the reason that his light was currently fading and dying in his arms. A sharp anger rushed through him. That man would pay for this. He would destroy that man for doing this to them.</p><p>Carefully, he pulled Ventus away from him and placed him on the ground, the boy continuing to look at him with that dead look on his face.</p><p>Releasing his senses from within their shared hearts he once again found himself in the barren world with the led man, who continued to stare at him but now had a gleam f impatience; most likely from his lack of interaction after being separated. Once the man was in view pure rage rushed through him. This man was the cause of their pain! This man was the reason that his light was currently dying at his feet!</p><p>He was suddenly lunging at the man as darkness bean to envelope his body, the need to rip this man to shreds growing. The man didn't even flinch, but just as he was about to reach the man's neck he was suddenly thrown from the man. He looked up at the man, who wore an unimpressed expression, as he stared down at him. He quickly looked down at the man's hand which suddenly held some kind of black weapon.</p><p>
  <em>Keyblade.</em>
</p><p>He didn't know what had brought the word to his mind, but something told him that the word matched the weapon.</p><p>The man looked at him curiously before he glanced over at Ventus. A growl flowed from his throat as he quickly stepped in between the two, darkness continuing to flow around his body. The man continued to look at the two of them, but now he had a more calculating look in his eyes.</p><p>"It would seem that you are still attached to your other half." The man sad, not taking his eyes off of the two. "No matter. Young Ventus will soon pass as his heart can not survive much longer without your darker half."</p><p>Vanitas tensed. This man was just going to allow his other half to die? What was the point of separating them? Another growl escaped his throat before once again rushing towards the man. This man was a danger to his light. A danger that needed to be destroyed.</p><p>Once again just as he had reached the man he was thrown to the side, but this time a sharp pain ran along the left side of his face. The sound of glass cracking caught his attention as he noticed small pieces of black glass fall to the ground. A sudden touch of warm air caught his attention. Not taking his gaze off of the man he ran his fingers along the side of his face. He could feel the sharp edges through the gloves on his hands.</p><p>"It would seem that I will need to work on ensuring that you are not held back by your bond with Ventus." The man continued, stepping forward, heading towards Ventus.</p><p>Vanitas tensed before rushing back to Ventus's side, reaching the boy before the man did. Gathering the blond boy in his arms, he held him close to his chest, never taking his eyes off of the man. The man stopped feet from the two boys, his eyes becoming hard.</p><p>"You cannot stop this Vanitas. It is best that you throw away this bond with Ventus."</p><p>Vanitas's grip on Ventus tightened, refusing to let his light half go. The man continued to look down at the two, before sighing and moving closer towards the duo.</p><p>"It is for the best." The man said. "You will not be able to reach your full potential if you continue with clinging to a dying light."</p><p>Vanitas refused to loosen his grip on Ventus. If this man thought that he would willing give up his other half then he was a fool. The man continued forward, disregarding the state of the two before him.</p><p>Vanitas pulled Ventus closer to him, refusing to take his eyes off of the approaching man. His mind moved around in a rush. How was he suppose to protect his light? How was he suppose to find a way to escape?</p><p>When the man was mere feet from the two instinct took over. Holding Ventus close to him he ran. He continued to run, regardless if that man was following them or not, though he truly doubted that the man would let them get away that easily. He chanced a quick glance behind him and, just as he suspected, the man was following, running with a hard glare on his face. Fear flowed through his heart, turning to face forward and tightly shutting his eyes. He couldn't risk being caught. He couldn't risk his light's could feel the man coming up behind him, could feel him getting closer. How? How could he hope to defend his light? How could he escape?</p><p>A sudden coldness fell over his body, causing him to snap his eyes open. Waves of darkness surrounded the two of them. Where had these come from? A pull from deep within him caught his attention. Instinctually he grabbed onto that pull, adding his own strength to it. The waves of darkness grew around him, seeming to converge in front of him. Instinct continued to drive him forward, anything to get away from this man. He ran towards the convergent of darkness and entered into the doorway that seemed to have been created, chancing a quick glance back at the man.</p><p>The man was rushing towards them, a look of pure rage on his face, before disappearing as the doorway seemed to close and disappear. A brief sigh escaping his lips as he knew that now his other half would be safe.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Vanitas II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Vanitas coughed, spitting out whatever had fallen into his mouth as he braced his body as he and Ventus fell through the other end of the doorway. His body hit the ground, loose sand flying around the two as the doorway closed behind them, his body tense as he gasped for breath.</p>
<p>The sound of waves caught his attention. Lifting his head he looked around. While it was day in the place they had fled from , this place seemed to be in the middle of the night, the light of the moon casting a calming light across the land, a small area surrounded by water as far as he could see. The sand that he had landed in was looser and cooler, compared to the harsh heat and compaction of the previous, along with plant life of all kinds, ranging from grass to trees, giving the land a feeling of life and energy.</p>
<p>Vanitas shivered as a small breeze flowed over the two of them, this world being colder than the previous. Looking around, towards the back of the area, he noticed what looked to be a small cave, slightly hidden behind a waterfall. Pulling Ventus onto his back he made his way towards the cave, hoping to find some shelter from the wind. Almost at the entrance he saw a pool of clear, clean water, but froze as he got closer.</p>
<p>The surface of the water had a reflective feature to it, but what had caught his attention was the image of himself and Ventus. Carefully, he placed Ventus against the wall of the cliff and slowly approached the pool. The closer he got the more fear seemed to seep into his heart, until he was face to face with his reflection.</p>
<p>As Ventus's darkness he was expecting to see a face similar to his other half but that was not what he was now facing. He wore what looked to be a glass helmet that covered most of his face with over a third of the left side shattered and missing, explaining the glass shards when facing the man. A face that seemed to be entirely made up of shadows with a pure red eye and what looked to be some kind of antenna. A semi deep gash seemed to curve underneath his eye and followed what seemed to his jawline.</p>
<p>How? Why Why did his other half look human and he did not? Was this more proof that he was one stripped away from Ventus?</p>
<p>A sigh behind him quickly caught his attention as he turned to look at Ventus. While the boy had a pained look upon his face that did not seem to fade the boy suddenly had a look of peace on his face. Panic rushed through Vanitas. What was happening? Was Ventus okay? Was he fading even further?</p>
<p>Latching onto the connection between the two he found himself once again within his heart, before following the connection to Ventus's heart. What was happening? Was what that man said about Ventus fading away true? Was he too late to stop it from happening? He could still feel Ventus's heart, so maybe there was still time to save him.</p>
<p>He came upon the remnants of Ventus's heart station, but froze. What? How? How was this possible?</p>
<p>The heart platform, which had originally been pure white and crumbling away at the edges, was now whole and complete. An image of Ventus above a green background now took the place of the pure white that was originally in its place. He looked to where Ventus was standing at the center of the platform and noticed that he was looking at a small light that was hovering over his hands, with a look of happiness and peace.</p>
<p>"Ventus?"</p>
<p>The blond and the light both turned to him as he called to the other boy. Ventus gave a small smile as the light quickly flew over to him, twirling around his body.</p>
<p>
  <em>Are you Ventus's other half? The one that was forcibly taken from him?</em>
</p>
<p>Vanitas could only stare in shock at the small light. It wasn't large, but it was bright, almost as bright as Ventus's. He slowly reached towards the lgith as it settle in his hands. It felt young, almost like a newborn. But why was it here? How was it here?</p>
<p>
  <em>You feel like you're disconnected as well.</em>
</p>
<p>Vanitas continued to look at the small light. What did it mean?</p>
<p>
  <em>I can help you like I did with Ventus if you'd like.</em>
</p>
<p>Vanitas's gaze grew in shock. How was this light able to help him? Ventus was now a being of pure light, like this young light before him, hence why he was able to help him. But how could a being of pure light help him, a being of pure darkness?</p>
<p>Vanitas felt a hand fall onto his shoulder. Quickly looking up, he came face to face with Ventus. The blond boy, though his face still showed exhaustion, smiled at him, as if to silently tell him that it was alright. Not taking his eyes off of the other boy he gave a slight nod. He wanted to be whole again. He didn't want to feel this shredded pain.</p>
<p>The light gave a small chuckle before flying around the two, a faint light beginning to condense around Vanitas. He closed his eyes, giving a sigh of relief as the pain slowly began to melt away as the light began to fade away. A feeling of peace finally coming over him since he and Ventus were separated.</p>
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